Yin to Yang
by TeamXtremexfan
Summary: Akaya was one of the last waterbenders in the south pole along with her friend Katara. When the Avatar is finally found after a 100 years, she joins Aang, Katara and Sokka as they journey to help him master the elements and end the war, all the while trying to outrun the scarred prince tracking them down. Zuko/OC
1. Chapter 1

The snow crunched beneath heavy footfalls, the sound echoing throughout the icy landscape. Akaya could see her breath before her, pushing her legs faster than before. Loose strands of brown hair whipped against her chilled face, the motion of her running loosening them from her braid. She prayed to every spirit she could think of she was not late. The boats were to leave at the first rays of dawn, which was closely approaching. She could feel the rays of the sun, even through the chill of the cold weather as she pushed her legs further.

Rounding one of the cliffs that would lead to the harbor, she came to a halt. All around were members of her tribe. The boats still laid dormant, already packed and readied for the journey before them. Wives cried, clinging to husbands and sons, fathers consoling children who were too young to truly understand why they had to leave. Akaya moved through the crowd, desperately seeking out the one person she needed. Her head whipped around in either direction, feeling a dread of panic creep into her chest before she caught sight near the docks.

"Dad!" Quickly breaking from the crowd, she hurried towards the docks. The man turned, quickly enveloping the young girl in his embrace. "I was afraid I would be too late."

Bato smiled softly, his hand moving to stroke through his daughter's hair as he held her closer, not wanting to let go. He was unsure of how long he and the others would be gone, he did not know whether he would ever return from the war. He wanted to hold onto the last bit of home he had, the last bit he had of his beautiful Cho.

"You always did have your mothers punctuality." Akaya felt herself smile, the first real one in quite some time. It had been some time when it was announced that those able to fight would head off to aide in the war with the fire nation. Akaya had known instantly her father would be among them. He was one of the best warriors in the Southern Water Tribe, but a small shred of hope burned that he would not be one of them to venture from their home.

"Dad I want to go with you, I want to help fight please. I'm 15, I'm of age. My waterbending it's getting better and I'm training everyday I can help I want to help. I want to stay with you." She shut her eyes as her head stayed buried in her fathers fur, trying to fight back the tears she had been holding.

Bato let out a heavy sigh, moving back to look at his daughter, gently taking her shoulders. "Akaya, look at me." When she finally raised her eyes to look at her father he gave her a soft smile. "I know how much you are improving. Which is why you need to stay here. We need someone to protect our tribe while where gone and you need to be here to help Katara. When we return you both will be powerful waterbenders." He moved his hand lovingly against her cheek, wiping away the tear that had escaped before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Promise me you'll come back. I need you to come back dad." She whispered, her voice trembling. Bato had to shut his own eyes, willing his own tears not to fall. He needed to remain strong, for his men and for his daughter.

"I promise you I will do everything in my power to come home to you." The harbor fell silent as the sounds of horns cut through the air, signalling to the men it was time to leave. Bato pulled his daughter into another hug, as she did the same, her arms tightening around her father. "I love you, my little waterbender."

More tears slid down her cheeks as he pulled from her embrace as she stared up at him. "I love you dad and I will see you when you return." She said it sternly, almost as if she was trying to convince herself it was true. Bato reluctantly pulled from her embrace before grabbing his pack. Taking one last look at Akaya, he turned and made his way to one of the many ships, stepping on board to join Hakoda.

Akaya's eyes wandered over the crowd of families as they crowded the harbor to watch the men depart, everyone with solm expressions. Her blue eyes fell onto Katara, the twelve year old trying not to cry, her brother beside her with a comforting arm around her. She could see it on his face. Sokka was stoic, trying to remain strong. But she knew, deep down, it was as hard for him as well. She moved over to the siblings, her arm moving around Katara on the other side, her hand finding purchase on Sokka's shoulder as she gave it a comforting squeeze.

"They'll be ok. They'll come back home." She said softly, her eyes never leaving the fading ships. She did not take her eyes away, even when the boats had finally sailed over the horizon out of sight.

* * *

"Good Katara, keep your footing firm. Keep your movements smooth...perfect." Akaya smiled, watching Katara from her spot. The two were near the harbor, a common place for the two waterbenders to find themselves.

Katara smiled, her hands falling from position as the small bit of water she had been bending splattered against the ground. "Really! Thanks Akaya. I've been practicing the movements as much as I can."

"And it shows." Akaya stood to her feet smiling as she bowed, Katara doing the same. "You are improving my young pupil?"

Katara laughed a bit as she straightened up. "Well I have a good master it would seem." Akaya smiled a bit, blushing at the compliment. At 17, Akaya had grown in her waterbending. It had been a struggle, her only guidance coming from the aged waterbending scroll she had received when she had turned nine. The scroll, containing beginner forms and poses, had helped both girls but they knew it was not enough. They needed a true master if they truly wanted to grow in their bending and with no other benders at the south pole, it seemed more and more far fetched as the years past.

"Are you guys done with your magic water and all?" Both girls turned to the voice, Sokka making his way over with his fishing supplies. "I'm going out fishing if you want to come help?"

"Sure. Akaya do you want to come?" Katara asked as the other girl shook her head.

"I'm fine. I might just stay back and do a bit more practicing. Be careful out there both of you. And Katara practice if you can." She said as the two siblings made their way to one of the docked canoes. She smiled, waving as they sailed away before turning back to the water before her. "Alright let's try this again."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer. I do not own anything except any original characters.

The moon hung high in the night sky, the only sound coming from the soft waves against the shoreline. Akaya continued to pace, her eyes darting to the sea every so often. The sun had set hours before and the siblings had not yet returned from their fishing trip. They had never stayed this late on the water, always arriving before the sun had fully set. Akaya had gone to the harbor to keep watch, having noticed the concern that had been etched on Kanna's face. As the minutes ticked, she finally gave up her pacing, quickly moving to an unoccupied canoe.

Before she could settle herself in, a noise in the distance caught her attention. Her eyes moved to the water, widening when she saw the silhouette of something large heading in her direction. Before she could move to a defensive stance, a voice halted her. "Akaya! It's us."

Sighing, her body relaxed at Sokkas voice. She watched as the silhouette drew closer to the shore, taking note of the three figures on top. Her eyes moved to what she could see was an animal, however one she had never seen at the shore, the beast let out a loud groan before shimming up to solid ground, its white fur soaked.

Akaya took a cautious step forward, jumping back slightly as the animal shook the water off his fur, his large eyes finding hers. He starred curiously before emitting a huff of contentment as the three passengers disembarked.

"Thank the spirits." Akaya moved, her arms moving to hug the siblings. "Everyone was worried when you guys had not come back. I was on my way to go out and find you both," She pulled away, her eyes moving to the new person standing beside the strange beast.

He looked young, a bit younger than Katara but not by much. His clothing stuck out to Akaya, the orange and yellow material flowy and thin, not meant for the south pole. His youthful face was staring back at her, a smile stretched across his face. Her eyes drew up to his head, noting the large blue arrow tattooed onto his skin.

"Akaya you'll never believe what happened! We got stranded when our canoe got caught in a current. I...I broke an iceberg! You should have seen it." Katara continued to ramble, Sokka interrupting every so often to the annoyance of his sister. Akaya stood there, her mind working to process what she was being told. _An airbender?_ That was impossible. She knew of the stories of the Fire Nation, the cruelty they had displayed, wiping out all the air nomads. They were thought to have been extinct.

As Katara came to the end of her story, she took Akayas hand, practically dragging her the short distance to where the boy and the beast still stood. "Akaya this is Aang. Aang this is Akaya, my best friend. She's the other waterbender I told you about."

"Nice to meet you and this is Appa my flying sky bison." Aang smiled, his hand moving to pat the fur of the animal lovingly. She heard a snort from behind her, seeing Katara throwing Sokka a glare.

"It's nice to meet you both. You must be exhausted, all of you must be. Come on will go to the village and get you settled in. We have a spare igloo for you to rest in" Akaya replied. The group made their way back towards the village, Appa bringing up the rear. Sokka immediately went home, grumbling about food. Katara and Akaya got Aang settled, bringing him to one of the vacant igloos. After bidding him goodnight, the girls made their way towards their homes.

"Akaya, he's another bender, an airbender. This..this could be what we've been waiting for. He could help us with our bending. Maybe he could take us to the North Pole to find a master. I mean if it's true about Appa he could get us there," The hope was evident in Katars voice, her eyes wide with determination and hope as she looked at her friend.

"Whoa let's slow down Katara. This is a lot to take in, especially for Aang." Akaya sighed, her eyes drifting back to the home they had just left. "He's going to have a lot to process."

* * *

"I don't like that she's out there with him on her own. We still don't know this guy," Akaya had to stop her eyes from rolling, dropping the small water wipe. She had lost count the number of times Sokka had complained about their new guest. Yes he was a stranger, but from what she had seen, Akaya felt Katara was safe with him. She had gotten the feeling, however, that he was not being completely truthful. She could see it on his face, and more importantly his eyes. She wandered about it, had wanted to ask him but did not want to over step.

"Sokka...for the last time please shut up." Sokka went to speak but Akaya was quicker, moving her hand over his mouth. "Look I understand your just trying to be a big brother but I trust Aang. Katara's safe with him."

When the hand was removed, Sokka sighed, his eyes casting down. "Look maybe I'm overreacting sure but my dad told me that I needed to protect the people here, to protect Katara. I don't want to fail him."

Akaya smiled a bit, her hand moving to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. "And you have Sokka. Hakoda would be so proud of you, I know he would." Sokka's lips twitched up, looking at his friend.

"Thanks Ak-oh no." Noticing his gaze shift to something over her shoulder, she turned, her eyes widening to match his. In the distance against the clear skies, a single fire signal shot straight into the air.

"That came from the direction of…" Akaya couldn't finish her sentence, her eyes still locked onto the falling fire.

"The fire nation ship." Sokka finished through clenched teeth before running towards the village. It only took Akaya a few moments to get her bearings before she was on his heels.

* * *

Chaos. That was the word Akaya used to describe the scene. After finding out just how the flare had been sent, Sokka had immediately banished Aang, Kanna reluctantly agreeing with her grandson. Akaya did not agree. She agreed that it was completely stupid that the two had wandered onto the old navy ship. Katara had known better. But to outright banish the young airbender was something she could not fully get behind.

But the moment black soot started to blanket the snow, her focus shifted. She rushed through the village, ushering the youngest of her tribe into their homes, trying to sooth their cries as best she could. Katara had soon joined her, putting her own anger aside at the moment to help her people.

A shuddering rumbled the earth, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes locked onto Kataras as silence fell onto the village. The rumbling grew, everyone's eyes directed towards the source. Through the mist, she could make out the black silhouette of a large ship, its speed steady and increasing the closer it got.

Which happened to be right in Sokka's path.

"SOKKA MOVE!" Akaya yelled, Katara joining her. Both girls stumbled, watching the ice crack beneath their feet as the ship drew closer to the village, breaking through the ice wall. Fortunately for Sokka, instead of being crushed by the bow of the ship, he was pushed down with the avalanche of snow that had been the wall.

An eerie silence fell over the village before it was broken by the mechanics of the ship. The bow of the vessel slowly lowered, the ramp landing with a thud against the snow covered ground. No one dared move, everyone's focus on the darkness that was the ship. Akaya chanced a step closer, her eyes narrowing to the entrance of the ramp.

From her vantage point she was able to make out figures as they descended from the ramp. She could make out the red and black of the fire nation uniform, most of the men's faces covered in skull masks. She shuddered, a cold sweat blanketing her neck suddenly. The last time she had seen those masks had been years ago when she was a child, when Kya had lost her life. She took note of the formation they were in, most of the men following behind a single person. Akaya assumed this was the man in charge.

A loud cry, brought Akayas eyes to her right gasping when she saw Sokka run towards the ramp, his spear held tightly in his hands. She wanted to shout at him to stop, but even she knew it would not do anything. He was his father's son. Both she and Katara flinched when he was disarmed by the leader, quickly being tossed to the side and into the large bank of snow, luckily unharmed.

The group of fire nation soldiers disembarked, making their way to where the group stood. Now that they were closer, Akaya could see the leader more clearly, confusion crossing her face. She had assumed the leader was a general or some admiral. But what she saw in front of her could be neither. The man in front of her looked no older than her, maybe 16 or 17. A small part of her brain, a very small part, thought he would have been quite handsome if it were not for the deep scowl on his face. While his helmet hid most of his features, her eyes immediately wandered to his left eye, taking note of the scarred tissue surrounding it. It was a burn from what she could make out, one that had happened some time ago with the way the skin looked.

"Where are you hiding him?" His voice was stern, as his eyes roamed through the gathered group in front of him. Everyone remained silent, from both fear and confusion.

Akaya's eyes widened, as his hands shot out grabbing hold of Kanna and pulling her forward, Katara moving to take a step forward. Akaya immediately stopped her, quickly shaking her head as both stared at the young man as he gripped Kannas parka.

"He'd be about this age, master of all elements?" the man continued to question, his only answer the silence he had gotten before. Huffing, he shoved Kanna forward, both Akaya and Katara catching her before she fell.

The man suddenly let out a yell, his hand moving forward as fire flew , arching towards the villagers. Cries and screams rang out as everyone moved back from the fires heat. When it finally died down, the man glared, his fists clenched, ready to unleash another torrent of fire. "I know your hiding him!"

A loud war cry tore through the air, Sokka rushing at the firebender with his weapon. But the young man was too quick, ducking down as Sokka flew over him, landing in the snow. Sokka was quick to move, dodging the fireball shot at him before one of the younger boys threw him a spear. Catching it, he lunged forward, aiming for the scarred man.

However he was ready, quickly destroying the spear in Sokkas hand before knocking him to the floor. When Akaya saw the fire burst from his fist, his glare directed at Sokka, something snapped. Quickly moving forward, her hands moved, bending the water from her waterskin, quickly guiding it to the fire and extinguishing it.

The firebender's glare moved to her, his amber eyes narrowing as they landed on the water peasant before him. _A waterebender?_ From the stories he had been told and the rumors he had heard, there were no more waterbenders left in the South Pole. His eyes moved over her, taking in her stance and her posture. He would have laughed at her, her stance showing how inexperienced she truly was, if his anger was not so fueled.

"You dare attack me you water _peasant."_ he spat the word as if it were an insult, quickly moving into a fighting stance as she did the same.

"Look however your looking for their not here so just go." Akaya kept her voice steady and firm, trying to show that she was not as terrified as she really was. When she noticed that he did not move from his stance, she took the initiative to attack first. Concentrating, her eyes shut as her hands moved fluidly forward towards the soldiers in front her.

"AKAYA!" Her eyes shot open at Sokka's yell. She chanced a glance behind her, groaning when she saw Sokka knocked over, his feet all the way to his calves frozen in solid ice. She cursed under her breath, realizing now she had been in wrong position to direct the ice at the fire nation soldiers.

"Sorry Sokka." She called out lamely before turning back to the young man in front her. He smirked, his hands catching fire once again.

"Want to try that again?" He mocked as he took a step towards her. She backed away, feeling Kataras hand move to hers.

Something caught Akayas eyes, a figure coming in fast from the distance. As it grew closer she was able to make out Aang on a….penguin? She didn't have much time to fully comprehend the sight before the airbender was barreling into the firebender, quickly taking the young man off of his feet. A cheer rang through the crowd as Aang came to a stop, the penguin knocking him off before simply waddling away.

"Hey guys." Aang said, shooting a smile over to Katara and I as we moved to help chip away the last bits of ice trapping Sokka's feet.

Akaya smiled, as she and Katara helped Sokka stand up. "Good to see you Aang." Looking at Sokka, she nudged him slightly, giving him a look.

Sighing a bit, he reluctantly looked over at the airbender, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. "Hi Aang, thanks for coming."

The group turned their gaze back to the soldiers, the young firebender moving to his feet as his men fanned out around him, surrounding Aang who took a defensive stance. WIthout the helmet, Akaya was able to get a better look, taking note of the mostly shaved head except for the the black ponytail. _Yeah he would be handsome if he wasn't…_ Akaya quickly stopped that train of thought in an instant.

Taking note of his opponents, Aang quickly used his staff, bending the air around him, the snow slamming into the soldiers, knocking a few off their feet before staring at the firebender in front of him. "Looking for me?"

Zuko stared at the boy in front of him. Akaya noticed the confusion cross his face, as if he was not able to process the information he had just heard. And Akaya could agree with him. She had had an inkling that Aang had been hiding something but being the Avatar? That had been the last thing that had crossed her mind. "Your the airbender? Your the _Avatar_?"

Aang slowly nodded, gripping his staff as he and the firebender circled each other, both ready to strike. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter, training, meditating...your just a child!" The man exclaimed, almost insulted that he was facing a kid.

"Well your just a teenager?" Aang commented back. The comment seemed to only anger the firebender who quickly unleashed a fury of blows, the fire only inches from Aang who tried to deflect them the best he could with his staff. At one point, the fires spread out near the villagers. Akaya turned her body, trying to push back some of the younger children away from the flames. She could feel the heat, closer than before as the children cried out in fear.

Aang's eyes glanced to the village, moving to Katara as she shielded her grandmother before turning back to the firebender.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave them alone?" Aang lowered his staff, still ready in case of a surprise attack. When he saw the stiff nod from the young man, he felt his arms grasped by two fire nation soldiers, before being ushered towards the ship.

Katra quickly moved forward, Akaya moving to take her arm to stop her. "Katara you can't." she whispered sadly as her friend starred after Aang, a look of anguish crossing her features.

"No Aang, don't do this." she pleaded, feeling her eyes water with tears as the young airbender turned his head, giving both girls a small smile.

"Don't worry Katara, It'll be ok." His eyes looked from her to Akaya. "Can you guys take care of Appa for me until I get back. Tell him it won't be long." The hope in his voice broke Akayas heart as she felt her own eyes water.

She nodded softly, giving a sad smile to him. "We will." They watched as the group ascended the ramp, disappearing into the ship, the ramp raising up behind them. Once it had secured, the engines started up again, the ship slowly pulling out onto the sea to make their journey back.

* * *

"Ok so the canoes a no go. How are we going after them? They have a huge head start and a giant fire naval ship." Sokka questioned, quickly removing his supplies out of the small canoe he had placed them in.

"I think I have a solution." Both siblings turned, smiling when they saw Akaya walking over, Appa lumbering after her. Seeing the astounded looks on her friends faces she snorted, moving to toss her pack up onto the saddle of the beast. "What? You didn't think I'd let you guys go off on an adventure without me did you?"

Katara rushed forward her arms moving around Akaya as they hugged, before pulling away, Sokka joined them, gripping Akayas shoulder as he gave her a smile. "Course not. Now come on." Sokka eyed the animal warily, still a bit unsure of him. The trio quickly loaded up the small supplies they had packed onto the saddle before scrambling up on top. Katara moved taking the reigns of Appa as Sokka and Akaya moved to settle down.

Akaya didn't know how long it had been that they were on the water but she knew at this pace their chances of catching up with the warship were slim. Katara had hoped that Aang had been right about Appa, that the bison could really fly, but right now her hope was slowly starting to diminish.

"Go, fly, soar." Sokka droned on to Akayas annoyance.

"Knock it off ok, that is not helping the situation." She said as Sokka turned to her.

"Hey its not my fault. Aang said he could fly but I'm not seeing any flying. At this rate by the time we catch up with the warship, will be 100 years old." Akaya knew that Sokka was right, even though he was extremely over exaggerating. They were so far behind and they would need some kind of miracle to make it.

"Please Appa we need your help." Katara said softly, getting only a loud snort from the animal below them. Sokka continued to rattle off commands, quickly stopping when a kick to the leg from Akaya hit him.

Akaya moved to the edge of the saddle, her hand moving to stroke against his fur. "Please buddy. Aang needs your help. Sokka doesn't believe you can fly but Katara and I, we do." She said softly, her hand continuing to stroke the beast soothingly.

Rubbing the area she had kicked, Sokka sat back, looking forward. "What was it that kid said? Yee-ha? Hup-Hup? Wa-Hoo? Uh..Yip-Yip?" The group tensed, quickly grabbing a hold of something as Appa let out a loud growl, the sound shaking them all. One moment they were on the water, the next they were soaring in the air, the land below them slowly growing smaller.

Akaya gasped, quickly moving to look over the edge, laughing as the wind whipped around them. "Oh my god were flying!"

"You did it Sokka!" Katara yelled, her hands moving to tighten on the reigns as Sokka stood to his feet, a smile plastered across his face.

"HE'S FLYING! HE'S FLYING! GUYS HES-," Sokka stopped, noticing both girls giving him a knowing smile. He blushed, moving to sit back on the saddle. "I mean big deal he's flying." While Sokka tried to brush it off, Akaya saw the small smile still on his face as he continued to watch the water below them.

With their new form of travel, the trio quickly picked up ground and soon enough, the looming warship was in sight below them. Katara urged Appa furthur, the animal picking up a bit of speed as they continued. As they drew closer, they could make out two figures on the ships deck, engaged in some sort of combat. Once they were a bit closer, they could see one figure shrouded in all red, the other in orange and yellow. Aang.

"Guys hes-" Akaya couldn't finish her sentence. In that moment, she watched as fire fanned out towards the airbender, connecting with him and sending him spiraling down into the waters below.

"AANG NO!" Katara screamed. Akaya moved without thinking, starting to shred her large parka. Sokka saw what she was doing, moving to grab her arms in an attempt to stop her.

"No are you crazy! A jump like that will kill you." He said, both their eyes moving to the still waters below them. They all waited with baited breath, hoping for some sign that Aang was still alive.

Moments passed before a rippling on the water's surface caught their attention. Suddenly the surface broke and Aang was up, a whirlpool of water surrounding his body and propelling him up. They could see the glow coming off of him, his arrow and eyes completely consumed as he landed back on the ship. He easily used the water, bending it to his will as he whipped it towards the fire nation soldiers, sending a good portion of them over the railings.

"Did you see what he just did?" Katara said, her eyes still locked on the deck below them. For all the years they had practiced, they had never come close to anything that they had just seen.

"Now that was some waterbending." Sokka said, Akaya nodding, unable to really speak after what she had just witnessed. Katara moved to take back the reins, steering Appa down and towards the ship were he landed. As soon as they touched down, they quickly slid from the saddle running towards the fallen airbender.

"Aang are you ok?" Katara was the first to his side, kneeling beside him and helping him sit up. He groaned slightly, his eyes slowly opening to look at the three of them.

"Hey Katara. Hey Sokka. Hey Akaya. Thanks for coming" He said tiredly. Akaya smiled a bit, moving to help Katara stand him up.

"Well we couldn't let you go off an have all of the fun." They moved towards Appa, knowing they needed to get out as soon as they could. Akaya quickly climbed back onto the saddle, leaning down to take Aang's hands and helping him up.

A commotion made both girls turn their heads, seeing Sokka struggling with Aang's staff. Akaya saw the young firebender, gripping the end as he tried to climb back up. Sokka used this to his advantage, quickly poking the end against his head before he lost grip, falling back. "HA! That's from the water tribe." Sokka called out raising the staff up victoriously.

"Katara we got company." Akaya called down, seeing a few soldiers rush up from below deck taking fighting stances. Katara moved into one of her stances, bending the water on the deck around her. However, instead of going forward, the water rushed backwards quickly freezing behind her, to Sokka's annoyance.

"Oh come on, not again." He called out, quickly starting to chip at the ice with his boomerang.

"Katara position your body facing the other way." At Akayas urging Katara quickly re-positioned herself. Closing her eyes she moved again, repeating the move once more. Turning she gasped, the soldiers frozen in place before her.

"Oh my god! I did it!" Katara celebrated, quickly smiling up at Akaya who had a matching one plastered across her face.

"Good job Katara! Will celebrate later when our lives aren't in peril come on." She reached down, helping her friend up the saddle before calling out to Sokka. "Sokka hurry we need to go."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He finished chipping away at the ice, rushing over to Appa before pulling himself up and into the saddle. "Yip-Yip! Yip-Yip!" At Sokka's urging Appa moved forward, taking to the skys quickly. As the group continued their escape, something on the deck of the ship caught Akayas attention.

"Um Aang got a little problem down there." She called out to the airbender. When he turned and saw the flames shooting towards them, he grabbed his staff using it to send a large blast of air. As both elements connected, the fire was redirected, slamming instead into the wall of the glacier. The ice crumbled sliding down and connecting with the ship, stopping it in their tracks.

"Nice one Aang." Katara called as Sokka cheered, laughing and pointing down towards the ship as the group continued on their journey.

"Who was that guy?" Akaya questioned, her focus glancing back to the direction they had just flown from.

"I heard someone call him Prince Zuko when I was on the ship." Aang said, moving to take the reins from Katara.

 _Prince Zuko? Why was a prince from the fire nation searching for the Avatar._ Most people believed after a 100 years that the Avatar had been dead. It made no sense that there were active searches, let alone by the fire nation prince.

"How did you do that back there with the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Katara exclaimed, all three of them looking to Aang.

"Yeah it was incredible. I haven't even learned how to do anything close to what you did." Akaya commented.

Aang shrugged a bit, staring out over the vast land below them. "I don't know. I just sort of did it."

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara was the first to broach the subject that had been hanging over the group.

"Because I never wanted to be." Aang turned his head away, his shoulders slumping at the confession. Akaya felt something pull on her heart at seeing the young boy so vulnerable. Avatar or not he was still a kid with a whole world of problems thrust onto his shoulders.

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." Katara said gently, not wanting to further upset her new friend at the reality of what needed to be done.

"And how am I going to do that?" Aang questioned, turning to look at Katara.

"According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire right?" Katara said, remembering the stories that her gran-gran had told them growing up.

"That's what the monks told me." Aang said, making Katara smile.

"Well if we go to the North Pole then you can master waterbending." Katara said enthusiastically.

It seemed to spread to Aang, who quickly smiled as he looked from Katara to Akaya.

"We can all learn it together." he quickly added to both girls excitement.

"And Sokka I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way." Katara turned to her brother, Akaya laughing a bit as he smirked at the idea.

"Plus," Akaya looked at Aang, moving to grasp his hand gently. "You have us to help. You won't have to do this on your own." Aang smiled gratefully, bowing his head towards her.

"Thanks Akaya." Turning he quickly pulled a rolled piece of parchment out before spreading it out before them. "All right but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to here, here and here." he quickly pointed to a few places on the map as the other three huddled around.

"What do we need to do here?" Akaya asked, pointing to one of the places Aang had stated.

"Well there were going to ride the hopping llamas. Then way over here we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish.." as Aang continued going on and on about what needed to be done, Akaya couldn't help but laugh, leaning back on the saddle.

Just the other day, the young waterbender had been going about her life, continuing to practice, to perfect her skill the best she could, complacent to spend her days in the south pole. Now she was on the back of a flying sky bison with a 100 year old airbender talking about riding wild hog monkeys.

If only her dad could see her now.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer. I do not own anything except my original characters.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea Tara. If we get to the air temple and its in ruins, I'm worried what that will do to Aang" Akaya looked from her crouched position, refilling her waterskin in the stream they had camped beside.

Nearly a week had passed since the group had left the South Pole, their destination the Northern water tribe. While it was imperative they needed to make the journey as quickly as they could, Aang had voiced his desire to visit the Southern Air Temple. The siblings and Akaya were wary of this. They had heard the stories of what had become of the Air Nomads during the war. Both Katara and Akaya were worried about what his reactions would be, seeing first hand what they had tried to gently tell him. But Aang held steady.

"I need to see my home. I need to really see if what you all have said is true." He had said, a hint of sadness hanging on his words. After that, the destination had been altered.

"I know. But Aang is determined to see for himself. I just hope its not as bad as I fear." Katara said quietly. The two waterbenders moved from the stream, making their way back to where they had set up camp the night before. Aang was busy getting Appa ready, the large sky bison contently chewing at the grass below him as Aang chattered on to his companion.

Akaya held back a chuckle, taking note of Sokka sill hunkered down in his sleeping bag, his mouth wide as he snored, a sliver of droll dripping down his cheek.

"Your back! We can head out soon." Aang stated, his voice filled with a sense of hope that twisted up Akayas stomach. The girls quickly packed up their supplies, climbing up onto Appa to get them situated.

"I can't wait for you guys to see it. The air temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world." Aang continued, moving to secure Appas reigns.

Both girls glanced at one another before Katara turned to Aang's direction. "Aang I know you're excited but its been a hundred years since you've been home." She said as Akaya slowly nodded.

"That's why I'm so excited." The hopeful smile he wore did not falter as he looked at the girls.

Akaya sighed a little, pushing some loose hair from her braide. "A lot can change in all that time Aang. Your home...it might not be what you expect."

"I know. But like I said I need to see it for myself." He looked from Katara and Akaya. They both knew, deep down, this was something that needed to be done. Even if they believed it would not end well.

Aang floated down to the ground, making his way over to the still sleeping Sokka. "Wake up Sokka! Air temple, here we come!" Aang shouted, causing Sokka to groan, before quickly rolling over onto his side.

"Sleep now. Temple Later." Before he could fall back asleep, a large splash of water fell directly onto his head, drenching both him and the sleeping bag. Quickly sitting up, he glared daggers at the two waterbenders atop Appa. Katara tried to hide her laughing, Akaya leaning against the saddle, twisting the cap on her water skin closed. "AKAYA!"

"Good your awake. No time to dilly dally let's go." Aang airbended up, landing on Appas head as Sokka grumbled, gathering his supplies before slowly climbing aboard Appa.

"Your not my favorite anymore." he grumbled, Akaya and the others laughing as Appa took to the skies.

* * *

Akaya found she quite liked flying. While she had found it quite terrifying in the beginning, scenarios of everything that could go wrong running through her head, she now understood why Aang liked it. Leaning on the edge of the saddle, her eyes looked over the sea of clouds that lay before them, reflecting against the blue of the sky above them. She closed her eyes, the wind ruffling her as she let out a content sigh. Yeah she could definitely get used to it.

The silence was rudely interrupted by a loud rumbling. Turning her head, she saw Sokka, his face scrunched in discomfort as he clutched his stomach. "Really? Your hungry again? Do you ever not stop eating?" Akaya said as Sokka continued to dig through his pack.

"Hey, don't tease a man whose hungry. I'm a warrior and we have big appetites." he countered, his digging becoming more frantic. After a moment, he pulled a sack out, dumping the contents onto his hand to be met with only crumbs. "Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"

Aang sheepishly shrugged, giving Sokka an embarrassed smile. "Oh that was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

Sokka's eyes widened as his mouth fell open in shock. "YOU WHAT!" Sighing he sat back on the saddle, his eyes starring crestfallen at the crumbs still in his hands. "Aww. No wonder the flames smelled so good."

"You'll live Sokka don't worry." Akaya said, patting his arm as he grumbled lowly.

"The Potola Mountain Range!" At Aang's exclamation, the group sat up more alert, seeing the mountain range that appeared before them. "Where almost there!"

"Aang, before we get to the temple I want to talk to you about the Airbenders." Katara brought up the conversation slowly, knowing it was one that needed to be addressed sooner than later.

Unaware or choosing to ignore the seriousness in her voice, Aang continued to smile. "What about them?"

Katara continued on. "Well...I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The fire nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people."

Aang turned from Katara, his eyes staring straight ahead before him. That had seemed to finally get through to him. After a moment, he looked back at Katara, smiling a little. "Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped.

Aakaya moved to the front of the saddle, looking at Aang. "Aang I know it's hard to grasp…"

"You guys don't understand." Aang quickly interrupted her, "The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right Appa?" Appa let out a low rumble, answering Aang the only way he knew how.

The group fell silent for the rest of the journey, taking in the scenery of the mountains passing them. Once they passed the peaks, Akaya stopped, her eyes locked a head at what greeted them. Sokka and Katara did the same, neither one saying anything. The only person to speak was Aang, a sense of longing in his voice."There it is, the Southern Air Temple."

Aang had told them about the Temple, at the beauty and grandeur of it all but seeing it in person, his stories had not done it justice. The buildings were built within one of the mountain ranges, covered in a thin layer of snow from the high altitude. Akaya was surprised how intact it still seemed, even after a hundred years. Looking over at Aang, seeing his eyes filled with emotions, a part of her hoped that his optimism was true.

"Aang it's amazing." Katara exclaimed, her own eyes taking in the scenery before her. All Aang could do was smile, a flood of emotions coursing through him as the familiar sight laid before him.

"We're home, buddy. We're home."

* * *

Akaya couldn't stop the small smile on her face as she watched Aang race ahead of them. The moment they had landed, Aang was up and off, eager to explore his old home and show them around.

"Where can we get something to eat?" Akaya sighed rolling her eyes as she looked over at Sokka, Katara also giving him a look.

"Your lucky enough to be on of the first outsiders to ever visit an airbender temple, and all you can think about is food?" Katara exclaimed as Sokka just shrugged.

"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs." he stated as they caught up with Aang. They moved to stand beside him, taking in the views of the temple grounds. While still held up, the passage of time did show. Weeds had grown as foliage had started to creep over.

"So that's where my friends and I would play airball, and over there is where the bison would sleep, and…" Aang sighed, his shoulders drooping slightly as his eyes roamed over the area. He had remembered the place when i had been full of life, full of love. Now, there was nothing.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked softly when she noticed Aang's shift in demeanor.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemus and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds." Aang said sadly his gaze falling down. "I cant believe how much things have changed."

The trio glanced at one another before Sokka stepped forward. "So, uh, this airball game-how do you play?" He asked. At the question Aang's ears perked up as the smile returned.

"Oh it's so much fun. Come on I'll race you down." Aang quickly jumped into the air, using his bending to propel his body down towards the airball field.

"Thanks for that Sokka." Akaya said, squeezing his shoulder as the group headed down the pathway.

Akaya laughed, watching Sokka get tossed back once again, the airball sending him flying to the ground. Once Aang had explained how to play, him and Sokka had started, Aang instantly taking the lead.

"I don't think your winning this one oh warrior." she teased as Sokka glared up at her. Before he could retort, something shining on the ground caught her eye. Moving closer, she felt the air leave her lungs at what laid in the snow. A Fire Nation helmet.

"Guys look." She said, the siblings moving over to where she stood. When they saw what had piqued her interest, Katara gasped.

"Fire Nation." she whispered, closing her eyes.

"We should tell him." Sokka said solemnly. Akaya turned her eyes from offending object before traveling to the young boy still unaware. As she heard Katara call for him to come over, something shifted in her. This boy, who moments ago was laughing at a game he loved, still had some hope to cling onto. She needed to help him hold onto it a bit longer.

As Aang grew closer, Akaya quickly moved her hands to the snowfall above, concentrating before moving her hands, causing the snow to tumble down the rocky slope, covering both the helmet and Sokka. "What's up?" Aang asked, still unaware as he looked at the group.

"I just...I wanted to show you the waterbending move I've been practicing. Cool huh?" Akaya said, forcing a smile onto her face.

Aang looked at her curiously before smiling. "Good job Akaya. But you and Katara have been practicing enough. We have a whole temple to see." Aang said, turning on his heel to head up to the rest of the temple.

"Why did you do that?" Katara questioned as Sokka stood from the snow, quickly dusting it off.

"He's going to find the truth out eventually. I want to give him a little more time to hold onto that hope." Akaya said quietly. Both siblings looked at her knowingly before following after the airbender.

The group continued on, exploring more of the grounds as they went. Luckily, they had not run into anything that was Fire Nation.

"Guys as much as I don't want to hurt him, firebenders where here. We can't pretend they weren't." Sokka stated, looking at the two waterbenders.

Katara sighed as she followed after Aang, who was up a head of the group. "I can for Aang's sake."

"Katara's right. If he finds out they invaded his home, he'll be devastated." Aakaya stated. "Let's just...let him be a kid for a little longer."

"Hey guys!" The trio looked forward as Aang called from a head. He stood in the courtyard beside a statue. The statue was weathered, showing its obvious age but still in good condition, a light dusting of snow covering the top of it.

"Who is that Aang?" Akaya asked as Aang turned his focus back to the statue, his eyes filled with happiness.

"This is Monk Gyatso, the greatest Airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang turned to face the statue before bowing respectfully before it. Akaya moved forward as the others did the same. She closed her eyes, following Aang's bow, Katara and Sokka (after a discreet nudge from Katara) followed suit.

"He was my mentor, and one of my best friends." Aang said softly, a hint of sadness taking over his tone.

"You must miss him." Katara said quietly, laying her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Yeah." he agreed, before moving towards the the entrance to the temple itself.

"Aang where are you going?" Akaya asked as he turned back to the group.

"The air temple sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet." He didn't give anymore explanation before continuing inside. The group looked at each before following.

"Did he say someone to meet? There's no one here." Sokka questioned as they continued down the deserted hallway.

"What do you mean someone to meet?" Akaya asked as they continued their journey.

"The monks told me that when I was ready, I would be told everything I needed to know when I entered the sanctuary." Aang replied, before turning the corner. At the end of the hall stood a large entryway. The door was sealed shut, an intricate centerpiece taking up most of the space.

"But Aang, no one could have survived in there for a hundred years." Katara said as they stopped before the doors.

Aang shrugged a bit, looking up at the doors. "It's not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long."

"Good point." Katara agreed.

"Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing." Aang stated before Sokka quickly moved forward.

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats." Licking his lips and rubbing his hands together, Sokka darted forward. Akaya found it comical, watching as Sokka attempted to open the door, the wood not giving an inch. "Don't suppose you have a key?" He looked over to Aang, giving up on his task at hand.

"They key Sokka is Airbending." Akaya moved to help Sokka to his feet before moving to stand beside Katara. They watched as Aang sood before the door. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward, bending the air forward. It moved, pushing through the pathways. They watched as the locks turned as the air passed through. Once the last lock was broken, the doors slowly swung open.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Aang called out as the the room opened. Silence was all that they met. The group slowly moved towards the entrance, stepping into the sanctuary. The light streaming from the entrance gave them enough to see, and they all paused in their steps. Before them, and above, stood statues. Akaya couldn't count exactly how many there were but from what she could see, it looked like hundreds. They moved further into the room, weaving through the statues, taking them in as they did. All were of people, both men and women from what Akaya could see.

"Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?" Sokka complained as Akaya stopped before one statue in particular. It was a man, and from his clothing, she deduced he was from one of the water tribes.

"Who are these people?" Katara asked as she looked upon the statues before them.

"I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow." Aang answered, looking at the statue before him. "Look this one's an airbender."

"This one over here looks like a waterbender." Akaya called, pointing to the statue she was in front of.

"It looks like their lined up in a pattern." Katara said, moving to the next few. "Air, Water, Earth and Fire." she pointed out.

Something seemed to click with Aang as he smiled. "That's the Avatar cycle."

"It is. I remember your mother telling us a story about it when we were kids. All of theses statues, their Avatars, their your past lives Aang." Akaya said, walking over to Aang and Katara. She couldn't believe she hadn't made the connection sooner. It had been one of her favorite stories that Kya had told them when they were younger.

"There's so many." Aang said in wonder, moving through the statues, taking each and everyone of them in.

Sokka walked over, looking bewildered between the two girls. "Past lives? Do you guys really believe in that stuff?"

Akaya crossed her arms, staring at Sokka. "Yes because it's true. When an Avatar dies, their reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle. That's how it's been for thousands of years." A nudge to her side made them look over at Aang, who stood before one particular statue, almost in a daze.

Katara tried calling his name, but he remained still, his eyes not moving from the statue before him. She moved forward, her hands moving to his shoulders. "Aang, snap out of it." she tried again, Aang finally shaking from the daze. "Who is that?" She asked, nodding to the statue.

"That's Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me." Aang answered, Sokka and Akaya joining them.

"You were a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met." Sokka said as Akaya laughed a bit.

"Also cause your paranoid as well." she said, Sokka rolling his eyes at her comment.

"There's no writing. How do you know his name?" Katara questioned as Aang shrugged.

"I'm not sure, I just know it somehow" Aang replied, Sokka repeating how weird Aang was. Before either Akaya or Katara could come back with a retort, a noise caught their attention. Quickly turning their heads, they started at the entrance, the sound reverberating around the walls.

"Someone's here. We need to hide." Akaya whispered, the group quickly moving to hide behind the statues. She found herself crouched behind Avatar Roku's with Aang, Katara and Sokka across from them. They waited, the sounds of footsteps echoing off the walls as the figure drew closer. Peeking out from their hiding places, they could make out the silhouette of someone nearing the entrance.

"Firebender. No one make a sound." Sokka whispered, quite loudly if Akaya were being honest.

"Sokka shut up." Akaya snapped, her voice lower than Sokka's as he quickly shushed her along with Aang. She moved her hand to the side of her water skin, her fingers moving against the cap to be ready.

"That firebender won't know what hit him." Sokka stated, gripping his weapon tightly as the group prepared for a fight. Quickly standing and on Sokka's signal, they moved from their spots. Expecting to see a firebender, they faltered a bit. Before them stood a small animal, it's ears standing tall against its small body. The animals eyes darted from person to person, its head twitching to the side comically.

Aang brightened, his eyes widening as he took in the little creature before him. "LEMUR!"

"Dinner." Sokka muttered. And the chase was on as the lemur bolted from the room, both boys hot on is trail. Akaya and Katara looked across at each other, before bursting out laughing.

"I'm not going after them. Will let them figure that out on their own." Akaya said as Katara agreed. The girls continued to stroll through between the statues, taking them in detail. It really was something, seeing just how far back the Avatar lineage went.

The glowing eyes made both girls jump back. Katara and Akaya looked at each other, before turning back to the statues again, watching as every other statues eyes began to glow.

"Somethings wrong." Akaya said, Katara's eyes widening as she turned to the entrance.

"Aang." Nothing else needed to be said as the two girls sprinted out of the room, heading down the halls to find Aang and Sokka. The shaking of the ground made them stumble, a sound that resembled strong winds leading them to the direction they needed.

Getting to the courtyard both girls were pushed back from the strong gusts. They pushed forward, quickly getting to Sokka who crouched behind one of the crumbled walls. Akaya gasped, her eyes moving to Aang. Suspended in mid air, the air violently whipped around him, the tattoos covering his body glowing bright against him.

"What happened?" Katara yelled out over the rushing air as they gripped the stone wall to stabilize themselves.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso." Sokka called back to them. Akaya felt her eyes water, quickly looking back to Aang.

"Seeing Gyatso, I think it triggered his Avatar spirit. We need to try and get him out of it." Akaya yelled over the rushing winds.

"Preferably before were blown off the mountain." Sokka yelled, his feet slipping slightly against the cobbled path.

"Katara what are you doing!" Akaya yelled, seeing Katara move towards Aang's body. Both Sokka and Akaya watched as she drew closer, straining their ears to listen to her as she tried to calm him down.

The words must have gotten through, the boy slowly lowering towards the ground. Akaya slowly moved, noticing the winds that had been violently rushing past them fell to a gentle breeze. The group cautiously approached Aang, Katara moving to catch him before he could hit the ground.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his eyes closing as Katara hugged him. Akaya moved to his other side, her hand moving to his shoulder.

"Aang it wasn't your fault. Were so sorry you had to find out like this." Akaya said, Aang's grey eyes moving to her.

"You were right. If firebenders found this temple, they found the other ones as well. I really am the last airbender." Aang finally understood, as painful as it was. The others didn't know what to say. All they could do in that moment was comfort their friend, and show him he was not alone.

* * *

It felt weird to Aang, stepping into what had once been his room. Dust covered every available surface as vines slowly climbed up through the window. Moving over to the window, he looked out, his eyes roving over he temple below him. Guilt flooded him as he closed his eyes. He wished he would go back. If he had not run away, if he had stayed and accepted his destiny, maybe his people would still be alive.

"Aang." Turning his head, he wiped at his eyes, giving Akaya a small smile. "Were almost packed up. Are you ready to leave?"

"I think I am." He said quietly, his eyes turning back to look out the window once more. Akaya moved further into the room, moving to stand beside Aang, starring out as well.

"What Katara said back there, she's right. You're family now. Your not going to go through this alone. Where going to help you and where going to end this war. Together." Aang smiled, turning back to her before moving his arm around her. Without hesitating she returned the hug.

Pulling away, the two made their way to the door, Aang taking one last look at the room before closing the door behind him.


End file.
